Art of refrigeration



June 24, 1930. a CQFFEY I 1,765,656

. ART OF REFRIGERATION Filed Nov. 17, 1925 ATTORNEY with states BMTGN E.CGFFEY, ELIZABETH, JERSEY ART OF REFRIGERATION original applicationfiled August 9, 1920, Serial lilo. 4022,4293. Divided and thisapplication filed November 17, 1925. Serial No. 69,624.

My invention relates to improvements in expansion cocks and compressors.ll attain the art of refrigeration and particularly to this ob ect bythe form of my device illusthe compression method of refrigeration intrated in the accompanying drawing but whi h i l d th evaporation of liuid modifications may be made therein without to efiect the heat flow.In this method the departing from the spirittof my invention, I 55refrigerating liquid such as sulphur dioxide, is app 1 a dlvlswml pp i aion ammonia, carbonic acid or the like at a given of my application, onwhich there was issued temperature and corresponding pressure to meLetters Patent No. 1,565,795, dated lDefiows into a lower pressure andcorrespond- 11 1 1 15, 1925.

ing temperature, evaporation takes place at The Preferlhd form of mydevlce so this temperature, the required heat being h h h p y g g, 111drawn from the liquid or refrigerant and Whlch the cooling body, thuslowering their temh figure is a gr mmatic View of the peratures. Thevapor formed is then comu t is pressed and condensed at the originalpres- Similar characters of referencc refer to 5 sure and temperature,the heat being absorbed similar Parts in the speclficshion and drawby acooling fluid. The cycle thus reveals a closed circuit of refrigeratingliquid and In the devlce here Illustrated, 1 Present a vapor in contactbut not mixed, one section method of applymgho the 5m? 9 Tefrlgemtloh ofwhich is kept at a high pressure, and the the theorem. d mmlult 7 otherat a low pressure accompanied by two f t whlch hqmd' and vapor 1S flowmgheat currents at different thermal levels and aq h the sum of thebeahenergy and in opposite directions, i. e. at the lower level i fienergy at i sectlon 1S constant the heat current passes into therefrigerating m otter Words i of pressllremd liquid and at the higherpressure the heat Al may d l magltltu e 9 m? 75 current passes from it,all of which is in con- Spon mg Vanatlons m veloclty which m formitywith the recognized laws of thermotum a be pf'oduced by Yariatign in thedynamics area on successive cross sections 0 the coni duit. As isobvious the conduit may be a ggg gigggz gggggfiifgig:$321312: closedcircuit without affecting this law, and so tofore to y knowledoe, beenaccomplished if energy be introduced in the conduit suificient-toovercome frictional resistances lus only with reciprocating compressorsof varip v t t1 d the energy equivalent to the net Work of X possessmg.1e p ma 1911s an adiabatic compression the circulation becomesOb18Ct1OIlS inherent in devices of this character. The expansion hasgenerally been continuous and it is ap arent that if low 85 temperatureheat is alosor ed at the low presi omfiqes or cocks whlFh dwldes the,sure point of the circuit and if it, plus the circuit and direct fromthe high to the low heat of adiabatic com th 1 th Xt l gression andfriction Pressure sectlohs, 7 us e 6 y andotherheat added is ischargedatthehigh 4 energy Possessed y the expahdlhg Vapoh pressure point arefrigerating cycle of the 90 The object of my invention is to eliminatecgmpression type results h cpmpressor expahsloh cock and dlvldedParticularly 1 make a plication of the hycllclllt Save energy of theexps'hded draulic principles that t e pressure in a colp P P h theCarnot y and umn of liquid varies directl with the height t tt in h dijll 9 1 gradually P ofthe column; and that if t e velocity of theducing the required variat on of pressure and flow in th column issufliciently high, any temperature in an undivided closed circuit vaporformed will be entrained by the liquid of refrigerating liquid and vapor(which and subjected to its hydraulic pressure existthus itself performsthe compressing funcins at each level in the column or riser.

0 tion) enclosed in a conduit free from valves, in the drawing 1 and 2are the risers which need not he of constant diameter, 3 is the brinecooler, or source of low temperature heat, and i is a condenser of anydesired type. A pump 5 is provided in the system, It is obvious that anydesired hydraulic pressure can be attained in the condenser 4: byextending the height of the risers 1 and 2 and must at least equal thedifierence hetween condenser and brine cooler pressures, also that thehydraulic pressure at the brine cooler 3 will he zero, The circuit isfilled with refrigerat ing liquid or medium to a point Where there isleft only suliicient space to permit evaporation. Any desired type ofbrine cooler 3 and condenser t may he used. The circulation of therefrigerating liquid or medium is maintained by means of the pump 5.

' The shaded sections a, a, diagrammatically illustrate the increase andin suspension With the consequent changes in the temperatures andpressures accompanying adiabatic expansion and compression and thereception rejection of heat.

circuit can be divided into tvvo parts or logs, the expansion riser 1from condenser to cooler in the direction of the llovv, and thecompression riser 2 from cooler to the condenser in the seine direction..li no heat was added or subtracted. from the system it. is apparentthat, neglecting friction, the refrigerating medium once set in motion,would continue to circulate indefinitely exhibiting the changes oftemperature and pressure above described, and the decreasing scales ofpressure and temperature in riser 1 would he duplicated in inverse orderin riser 2, the net resul heing a perfect hydraulic and vaper tensionhalance. The heat supplied from the cooler 3 however, disturbs thishalance and the quantity ot-heat iii-transit in riser 2 as Well as thevapor in suspension hecomes proportionately greater, the efiect or""which is tovreduce the mean density of the refrigerating medium in saidriser, and consequently the columns no longer balance. In order then tomaintain the circulation, energy must he supplied which is the functionor the circulating pump 5. The energy thus supplied is that necessar tocompress the additional vapor generatec loy the cooler 3 and aftertraversing the condenser the circuit is thus restored to its originalstate.

The fundamental principle of this method consists hroadly in setting upvarious pressures in an integral body of refrigerating liquid in motion,supplying low temperature heat to the system at the points of low pressure and Withdrawing high temperature heat at points of high pressure,the liquid serving a transporting agent to move the vapor thus formedfrom point to point and to cornpress it all in enact accordance Withthethee retical compression refrigeration cycle. -lln my e n, the heattransier surfaces, the hy- 5 0 l -c the racers and the pressuresdecrease of vapor at o, a, containing latent adapted by gravity alone'tvveen said risers,

form in suficient quantity to inalre pressures and temperatures conformarriving at the brine cooler with minimum pressure and correspondingtemperature, heat Will he received at constant temperature accompaniedby a proportionate 'formation of vapor indicated heat in quantitytobalance that received. it s the liquid passes on it enters the cones ofincreasing pressure with this added-quantity of vapor in suspensionwhich gradually condenses and is completely condensed in the condenser4..

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: v

1, In a device of the character descrihed, the combination of? a closed'valvelcss circulating system, including a pair of risers adapted to setup static pressures in a re frigerant thereinhy gravity alone andconstituting compressor means in said system, a cooler operativelyconnected in said system and a condenser also operatively connected insaid system. I

2. in a refrigerating system, a' conduit having compressor meanscomprising vertical risers of suhstantially equal length to set upoperative static pressures in a refrigerant contained therein,connecting-conduits hetween said risers respectively the tops andbottoms thereof, a refrigerant medium in said conduit, a cooler toimpart heat to said refrigerant medium in operative relation to one ofsaid connecting conduits, a condenser to ahstract heat from saidrefrigerant medium at the other of said connecting conduits, and

means to circulate said refrigerant medium,

through said conduit.

3.. In a refrigerating system of the character described, a conduit oiuniform crosssectional area having vertical risers or schstantiallyequal length and having connecting conduits hetvveen said risersrespectively at the topsand hottoms thereof, a retrigen ant medium insaid conduit, a cooler to impart heat to said refrigerant medium at theupper of said connecting "conduits and hea condenser to abstract heatfrom said refrigerant medium at the lower of said connecting conduits,and a pump at the junction of one or said risers and lower connectingconduit,

4. In a refrigerating machine, and endless closed conduit, a refrigerantcirculating therein and comprising a mixture of liquid refrigerant andits vapor, a high pressure zone and a low pressure zone in the refrigerant produced by gravitational force'alone,

and a pump by which the refrigerant is circulated.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, an endless closed conduit having tworiser sections adapted by their height to operatively produce-in arefrigerant contained therein zones of unequal static pressures, arefrigerant medium in the conduit, means for circulating the refrigerantmedium,.and a cooler and a condenser in combination.

6. In a compression refrigeration closed system, the combination of anevaporator, a condenser, a pump, and a connecting conduit includinguptake and downtake risers of sufficient height that when filled with amixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant in motion a hydrostatic pressurewill be produced therein at the condenser, greater than the differencebetween its pressure and that in the evaporator,

7. In a refrigerating system, the combination of compressor meanscomprising a pair of substantially vertical risers of equal.

height, adapted by gravity alone to set upv operative static pressuresin a refrigerant contalned thereln, conduits between said risers wherebyrefrigerant may circulate through said risers and said conduits, arefrigerant medium in said risers and said conduits, and means to causesaid refrlgerant to circulate and means for adding heat to I therefrigerant.

8. In a refrigerating system the combination of compressor meanscomprising a pair of risers adapted by gravity alone to set up operativestatic pressures in a refrigerant contained therein, conduits betweensaid risers whereby refrigerant may circulate, a refrigerant medium insaid risers and said conduits, means to circulate said refrigerant, acooler in said system for adding heat to said refrigerant at a point ofsubstantially zero pressure, and a condenser in said system for coolingsaid refrigerant.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature.

BARTON H. COFFEY.

